1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a carrying device, and more particularly to a foldable carrying device for supporting and carrying elongated tubular members, such as fishing rods, flourescent lighting tubes, blueprints and the like, in spaced relationship to one another. The invention further relates to a foldable carrying device having readily detachable clip members for adapting the device to tubular members of different diameters, and having an integrally formed compartment for storage and transporting of small loose items, such as fishing tackle, drafting equipment, small hand tools and parts, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years there have been a number of devices proposed for the carrying and displaying of elongated tubular members such as fishing poles, gold clubs, rolls of wire screen material, and the like. As an example of known carrying devices for fishing poles, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,466 to Wess entitled "Carrying Frame For Fishing Poles", issued Mar. 29, 1977; also to U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,801, to Ward, entitled "Fishing Rod And Reel Box", issued Oct. 16, 1979. As an example of a device for carrying golf clubs reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,416 to Lowe entitled "Combination Foldable Golf Club Carrier and Scorekeeping Device", issued July 19, 1977; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,467 to Mackniesh, entitled "Golf Club Carrier", issued Jan. 9, 1979. As an example for a device displaying rolled wire screen material reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 517,408 to Lasar, entitled "Wire Cloth Holder", issued Mar. 27, 1894; and to U.S. Pat. No. 892,214 to Bennett, entitled "Wire Screen Cloth Rack", issued June 30, 1908; and further to U.S. Pat. No. 1,176,486 to Peter, entitled "Wire Holding Stand", issued Mar. 21, 1916.
While the foregoing devices have no doubt served useful purposes, none of these prior art devices are readily adaptable for use is carrying and supporting a wide range of different types of tubular members. For example, while the Wess Carrying Frame For Fishing Poles is reasonably suited to the task of carrying fishing poles, it is not at all suited for carrying rolled paper blueprints, for example. Similarly, the Bennet Wire Screen Cloth Rack is quite unsuitable for transporting and supporting fishing poles.
Aside from being designed with one narrow purpose or limited usage in mind, the prior art carrying devices have proven relatively expensive to manufacture in mass production. Prior art devices do not use standardized components which are readily adaptable to a wide variety of different uses. Hence, for example, a carrying device for fishing poles has heretofore required one construction and design, while a carrier for rolled materials such as blueprints, has required a completely different construction and design.
For the manufacturer of carrying devices this prior art approach is quite unsuitable. Until now, if a manufacturer wished to offer a full line of carrying devices for tubular members ranging from fishing poles to rolled blueprints, the manufacturer would have to maintain separate production lines for each type or class of tubular member carriers. Because carrying devices of the prior art have traditionally been designed with one specific use in mind, very few interchangeable parts have heretofore been available.